SUpportist SerVices

Tech Support


Does this phrase cause you dread? Are you nearing an apoplexia just seeing it in print? Maybe you equate it to something less dramatic, mais nous faisons; taking a flight, getting cable or city services, filing taxes,… all necessary evils and the epitome of expected crap customer service. These subjects are perfect fodder for hack comedians and MC’s because of a basic devaluation for experience and longevity in customer contact services. When there are so few options for charismatic people who excel at and enjoy working with others but are lazy bastards (by that I mean outside the ultra-ambitious 8%) that hold an important personal stake in their work. Mostly there is little incentive or recognition for their contribution, but without question are worthy of better than the larger pool of mostly amateurs and the entry level drudges.

Respect of the specialized logistics or performance that some professional service companies had has become lost in the modern economic job pool, and companies structured so that those who feel excited to work hard or initiate positive systems changes are often unrecognized or not valued enough to generate continued interest for a high performer. In the case of the airlines humans and animals are treated little better than cargo, and yet somehow humans are complicit in and expect poor treatment from this provider they not only pay money, but collectively shrug at shabby treatment which perpetuates the cycle like vicious lizards in a mating ritual.

There is no tier, no middle position to incentivize or aspire to, so that employees who have been working for 2 or 10 years are often doing the same job and it becomes a rote call. Exceptions are those who keep finding an impossible ability to reconnect with the potential they hold for experience, or those who can move through the very limited channels of advancement. Most companies eliminated the idea that any middle layer of knowledge, opportunity or leadership based on reports from hideously accurate business strategists, would result in larger overall profits and company health.

Not building in an incentive for achievers creates a system that resembles the symbiotic cannibalism of Morlok and Eloi, where a necessity exists for those to devour and other to be consumed as dependents. On occasion there exists a nuanced respect for engaging the opposition, the next adversarial contact holding some promise for greater competitive results, letting those who had uncategorized ability a place to shine and receive rewards.

Celebrate the times when encountering someone that authentically and enthusiastically gets you on your way, fed or leaves your room crispy clean. Especially if those involved are obviously working off script from the standard business strategy. If you get that guy who shows up at the perfect time, who gets your crap working and lets you slide on parts with a smile and relaxed attitude; give feedback and let them know you got Service. It makes a difference and it might just be enough to inspire others to follow you.

Meeting your makerbot

Singularity is a term I’ve got rolling around in my mind these days. In a general sense it applies to a melding of circumstance or situations, in creative circles it applies to a moment or endeavor that results in an achievement. In technological terms it is used to describe that moment when artificial intelligence exceeds the maximum limits of the human brain, or in more definite terms: “the singularity, is the hypothesis that accelerating progress in technologies such as artificial intelligence will cause non-human intelligence to exceed human intelligence for the first time in history”.

I live in both the creative and technological worlds at the moment, being able to observe the patterns that both reflect as well as encumber those immersed in either leads me to believe that the idea of a perceptual shift, as postulated by the academics who have studied the probable idea of ‘the singularity’, is not very likely. That there will be this tremendous leap or sociological awareness when a non-human intelligence surpasses human intellect is a fallacy, not because it won’t be something dramatic but rather that it will not make an impact on most of those we know whose life and direction aren’t closely tied to the instance of artificial awakening and sentience. Based on some very recent issues involving violence and racism, religious dogma perpetuating border wars and ideological justification that keeps the majority of humans in a limited world-view, this kind of event can and possibly could be happening already and many of us would be too distracted by social media interactions, parochial investment or a position that rejects any information or involvement with technology.

Undoubtedly the children of today will find themselves in a world that was at least partially shaped by the popular culture of today, much like the tech in popular TV and movies that I was exposed to have come to fruition. Hand held communications devices that ‘flip’ open are already passé, and medical devices that ‘scan’ and record data on health and fitness have moved into the realm of marketing for the fitness industry. Will a movie like “Her” have any influence on the future and will those who design software that is increasingly more interactive borrow from fiction to promote it, much like ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Star Wars’ have already?

I have more than enough hope but lack the ability to see how so many millions of humans who already live in a willingly sheltered and shuttered existence would recognize or be open to the changes that will happen when the singularity occurs? When examining the challenges we have been faced with as a species and are still unable to overcome; racism, inequality for gender and life choices, resource distribution and the destruction of our very heritage and history by radical religious factions I am hard put to see how we would rise collectively to the threat or promise of sentient technology and harness it’s potential for a collective benefit. My desire is to see some indication that we can use any of the potential we now possess for collective enhancement for all rather than profiteering by a few.
Another perspective focusing on the Ray Kurzweil thesis (and where I lifted this comic from) is here.